There seems little reason to doubt that the Kurmis, like the Kunbis,
are a functional caste. In Bihar they show traces of Aryan blood,
and are a fine-looking race. But in Chota Nagpur Sir H. Risley
states: "Short, sturdy and of very dark complexion, the Kurmis
closely resemble in feature the Dravidian tribes around them. It
is difficult to distinguish a Kurmi from a Bhumij or Santal, and
the Santals will take cooked food from them." [53] In the Central
Provinces they are fairly dark in complexion and of moderate height,
and no doubt of very mixed blood. Where the Kurmis and Kunbis meet the
castes sometimes amalgamate, and there is little doubt that various
groups of Kurmis settling in the Maratha country have become Kunbis,
and Kunbis migrating to northern India have become Kurmis. Each caste
has certain subdivisions whose names belong to the other. It has
been seen in the article on Kunbi that this caste is of very diverse
origin, having assimilated large bodies of persons from several other
castes, and is probably to a considerable extent recruited from the
local non-Aryan tribes; if then the Kurmis mix so readily with the
Kunbis, the presumption is that they are of a similar mixed origin,
as otherwise they should consider themselves superior. Mr. Crooke
gives several names of subcastes showing the diverse constitution of
the Kurmis. Thus three, Gaharwar, Jadon and Chandel are the names of
Rajput clans; the Kori subcaste must be a branch of the low weaver
caste of that name; and in the Central Provinces the names of such
subcastes as the Agaria or iron-workers, the Lonhare or salt-refiners,
and the Khaira or catechu-collectors indicate that these Kurmis are
derived from low Hindu castes or the aboriginal tribes.